Oilers score another big comeback win against Sharks

The Oilers are doing pretty well on this.

It took them all 60 minutes of regular time or more, but this afternoon against the San Jose Sharks they managed to win again despite the defeat. The result was their second 3-2 comeback win in overtime in the last three days.

The Oilers could be forgiven for taking their opponent lightly. After enduring an incredibly difficult battle against elite teams over the last ten days, they must have been relieved to face the 31st ranked team in the league. But the Sharks wouldn’t just give it to them.

In fact, after the first ten minutes, they were in the driver’s seat. Luke Kunin gave them the lead with a one-timer from the slot, but Zach Hyman quickly countered with his ninth goal in eight games to tie the game at 1.

But just under a minute later, the Sharks took the lead back thanks to Jan Rutta’s first goal of the season. The next 50 minutes were maddening as the Oilers threw absolutely everything they had at the Sharks, outscoring them 23-7 in the second period alone – with nothing to show for it.

Special recognition goes to Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov. The 22-year-old Russian put in a great performance in his third start of the season and only the sixth of his career. He gave the Oilers nothing as they moved through the Sharks’ zone for minutes on end, harassing him the entire time.

The Sharks acquired him over the summer in hopes of making him their goalie of the future, and today he showed why the future is so bright in San Jose.

The Oilers didn’t do themselves any favors either, missing several wide-open nets as they circled the Sharks. Leon Draisaitl was particularly unlucky, missing two golden chances towards the end of the third round.

“Shit,” laughed Draisaitl when asked what goes through his mind when he misses an opportunity like that. “Not a great feeling.”

But the Oilers were ultimately rewarded for their hard work. In the final seconds of regulation, Corey Perry found Mattias Ekholm in the slot, and Ekholm eventually beat Askarov, tying the game 2-2 and sending it to overtime.

Draisaitl then had the chance to make up for his previously missed opportunities. He needed just 18 seconds to score the game-winning goal in overtime, capping another Oilers comeback victory.

After all that dominance and nothing to show for it, the Oilers needed just 35 seconds of game time to score the equalizer and the winning goal.

Although it ended his seven-game multi-point streak, Draisaitl still scored his 24th goal and fourth game-winner in overtime, leading the league in both categories.

This is the Oilers’ 11th win in their last 14 games, with only tomorrow’s clash with the Ottawa Senators standing between them and the Christmas break. A win tomorrow and a loss for the Los Angeles Kings would move them into second place in the Pacific Division just before the halfway point of the season.

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